Objectives:

1. Understand why we consider History a science.
2. Learn how historians work to research, analyze and determine the precise characteristics of an event and its causes and consecuences.
3. Compare and contrast two accounts of the same event to infer the real details of an event.

Assignment:

To infer the precise characteristics of an event and its causes and consecuences historians develope scientific work. This consist on researching about the events through primary and secondary sources and deciding which details are true and help to understad the event, its causes and consecuences.

Work proccess:

  1. Select an important event in your life. It may be the day your parents met, the day you were born, your first day of school, your first family trip, or any other event that you may want to know about. Choose an event that whose details you don't remember because you were too young.
  2. Decide which information you will want to know about. Create two papers to reflect the answers. Each paper should contain the same questions and at least these have to include: The exact date of the event?; Were was he/she when the event took place?; Which details does he/she remember?; What were his/her personal feelings and thoughts about what was happening?; and any other information you want to know about.
  3. Select two family members and ask them the questions you have pepared. Interview them one at a time. The results would be more interesting if they don't know that you are going to receive information from the other member of the family.
  4. Use the "Versions of History Chart" to reflect about the information you have obtained.
  5. Use the "Versions of Story Venn Diagram" to present the information you have obtained. You have to write the name of each person at the top of the circle. Use each circle to present the information that differs and the space in the middle to present the information in which both persons agreed.
  6. Write a list with the objective data of the event that you researched.